deernet | video; un: shiro

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video; un: shiro

Hey, all - I see there's some new faces. I'm Shiro, longtime resident here.

[He's seated on a sofa - well, seated is probably the wrong word. He's propped up by a lot of soft things, thanks to being a Warmblood this month.]

If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer - usually I'm on the Waker team, but ah, didn't get a chance this time around.

[Because of feeling like speaking, like moving, is too much effort.]

Anyway, I had a question. I'm pretty good in a fight, usually prefer hand-to-hand. [He is. Hilarious.] Weapons are a little more rusty, and this thing...

[He turns the omni to face a sword propped against the couch.] ... showed up at our house yesterday. And I could use a few pointers in swinging it.

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And I'll be here :)

[Sank into the couch, pretending he's not hurting.]

[You aren't going anywhere fast, no.

But this is fine. This is good. There's actually a thing or two Min-Gi needs to talk to Shiro about. This month is getting messed up fast and he's really feeling the brunt of it.

Seems Shiro is, too.

Give him ten or so minutes to trot over and jimmy himself in before appearing with his arms full of oranges from a bush (a bush!!) he passed on the way here.

Oranges he plops down on the coffee table feeling rather proud of himself.]

Have you been outside? There's food everywhere all over the place, it's wild.

[Shiro ... does not look great, to be honest. He's literally propped up by pillows. His eye bags are darker, skin paler. And yet, he still grins when he sees Min arrive. With a wriggle, he does his best to sit up straighter.]

That is. So many oranges.

[Why so many oranges.]

More than just citrus?

[Yikes... yeah, Shiro looks rough.

Okay, he can handle this. Can't be any worse than what's going on with Ryan right now. Min plops himself down opposite (floor? couch?) and immediately picks one of the oranges back up to peel. He takes great pride in trying to get the peel off in one big piece. It's been a self imposed challenge as long as he can remember and he's pretty good at it these days. He enjoys the sensation of the peel falling away. The smell of orange oil in the air as he works.]

Yeah, all kinds of things. My house is totally overrun with flowers but there's fruit and vegetables growing all over the place outside. Stuff I haven't seen here before.

[And now, a word from his mother as he repeats information he's heard his whole damn life.]

Oranges are very good for you, especially when you're sick. You'll feel better if you eat these.

Wow. That sounds amazing... warn me if there's any pineapple out there.

[It really does sound great, no joke. Maybe if he gets some energy back, he'll have to go out and look around. Grab some fresh stuff for the household. Provided he doesn't have another "what's a legume" moment.]

You - you brought all these oranges. For me?

[He's actually kind of speechless about that. Staring at the offered fruit like Min just brought in an entire spaceship. He reaches out to take it - trying to keep a steady hand in the process, and pretend it's not shaking.]

Thank you.

You're welcome. Here-

[He smiles and quickly leans forward, swapping out the orange Shiro has grabbed for the one he's just finished peeling. This is how his mom always showed her love, and now, he supposes, it's how he'll show his.]

They're really high in vitamins so you'll be back to your old self in no time.

Hah, I'll probably turn orange at this rate.

[But he's not going to turn down the offer. Of either the peeled orange or the gesture of bringing them. It's touching, really. This kind of thoughtfulness.]

[Plus, they do taste a lot better than dried fruits.]

It's not a cold, though. Promise you that much.

Well. That's good. There's a lot of weird, horrible stuff happening to people right now, a cold is the last thing you want. I don't even think we can get those here, so...

[A little shrug and he chuckles at his own stupid joke before he even says it-]

Orange you glad I didn't bring bananas?

Yeah, I know. More reason to figure out how to use the sword, I think. I -

[He almost says he wishes he already knew, or that he should be out there doing some good, but then Min has to go and make that joke.]

[Because then Shiro's cut off by his own laughter.]

Oh man. Really?

[Min-Gi throws his hands up as he laughs harder. Very much in the tone of I'M NOT SORRYYYYYY]

You brought it on yourself and I have zero regrets!

Yeah, I did, huh?

[Shiro is not having an easy time of getting those words out. He's laughing too hard to do so.]

Oh - ow. Ow that's not fair.

All is fair in fruit and war~

[Merrily peeling himself an orange. Or maybe it's a second for Shiro. Honestly he should have peeled them before he arrived, that would have been the polite thing to do.]

[Back to the orange. His metal fingers are steadier, easier to part off the sections.]

You sound berry pleased with yourself.

[!!!! Play!! Min-Gi is delighted]

Oh ho hoho~

[Without missing a beat: ]

What can I say, it’s very ap-peel-ing~

[Shiro's other half is groaning in the back of his mind for sure.]

Look at us. We make quite the pear.

[Sorry Adam. Rest assured, Ryan would too if he were privy to this monstrosity. Maybe pun torture will finally be the thing to convince Min-Gi that bonding wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Let’s get married so I can psychologically waterboard you with fruit puns, says local teen who can’t even say the word gay out loud.]

Lime all yours, Shiro. I can do this all day.

[His gaze turns unfocused for a minute. And then he laughs, shaking his head.]

Adam says you're very apple-ing.

[Get it, like appealing.]

But, man, I'm grape-ful for the laughs. Really.

Well I guess we’ve just got a good vine, growing.

Can I ask you something? If it’s ap-pricot?

[like appropriate? Mmm okay maybe that one was kind of a stretch.]

[He chuckles a bit more, finishing off the orange with shaking hands.]

Yeah, sure thing. What's up?

[Oh good, you’re finished. Share this next one with him :)]

Mm, so you just have Adam in your head all the time? That’s like, no privacy. Doesn’t it bug you?

[Wow. Wow. Fine - he'll take some too.]

Yeah. We're just kind of bouncing back and forth a lot in there. [He shrugs slightly, to keep the wincing down.]

No, it's not a lot of privacy, you're right... but. When I woke up here, he wasn't. It took him three months to show up. And I admit, I didn't handle it well. Felt like all the progress we made in Deerington, everything we worked out was - just gone. Like it had been for nothing.

But now... even if one of us ends up back in the ocean, we'll still know they're out there. We'll still have the connection. No matter what happens, he won't lose me, and I won't lose him.

Makes the no privacy worth it, you know?

[It resonates in a way Min-Gi wasn’t expecting and he sits with it in contemplative silence for a long moment.

It’s a familiar story from the other perspective and it makes him wonder why Ryan has never brought it up. Forget about the part where it’s getting married, because that is way too much and- ah. Yeah. That’s probably why Ryan hasn’t brought it up. They’ve known each other their whole lives but they’ve only just started dating. Getting married right away is something their parent’s generation did. It would be weird if they did.

Plus, you know, the whole inside each other’s heads all the time thing. How do you make that work? Do Shiro and Adam just not have any problems? Do they not fight or have random, dark, intrusive thoughts?

Maybe it’s just him and Ryan who do that.

Maybe Ryan wouldn’t want to if he knew what really went on inside his head. Maybe he wouldn’t like him anymore or he’d be too much. That’s such a gamble.

Yeah.. that must not be a problem for Shiro and Adam. Or Wu and Mako.

They’re just better people than Min-Gi is. It must be that simple. Look at how badly he’s been handling what’s happening with Ryan right this moment. He’s here eating oranges and telling fruit jokes instead of searching for a cure. He’s pathetic.

It occurs to him then, that he has been silent for probably way too long, worrying a segment of orange until it’s split in his fingers. Each fine, plump cell is free and glistening, and they look slightly sinister in this outlook. Like jagged teeth.

Too quiet, Min. Say something.

He forces a nod, shaking himself out of the spiral (for now) to answer.]

Ryan’s waited for me for six months. And so many terrible things have happened to him. Are still happening to him. I’m trying my best but inside? I know I’m powerless to stop it.

[While Min is quiet, so is Shiro. Partly because he's tired, just sitting upright. And partly to wait while the gears turn in Min-Gi's head. Something is chewing away in there - he wants to ask. He should ask. But he doesn't know Min well enough to know if asking will mean withdrawing.]

[And hell if he knew what was going through the kid's head, he'd probably have choked. Sure, him and Adam have come a long way, but no problems? That's... almost comical, really. He'd bet Wu and Mako have their own issues, too - but that's for them to divulge. If, you know, those thoughts ever came out.]

[Still, when the orange pops apart, he reaches out, despite the aches in his bones. Covers one of Min's fruit-splattered hands in his own. It's okay. You're good.]

That's not your fault. [Firmly, but not unkindly.] None of us can control when we turn up here. As for the rest of it... [His hand drops, and he shakes his head.]

A lot of us have been powerless for a long time, here. We do whatever we can to get by - and sometimes, all we can do is just be there for the people we love. I know that doesn't sound like much, it doesn't feel like much.

But if it's everything you can do, I can't fault you. And neither will he.

[It's decent logic but does little to lift his spirits, so easily sunk as he remembers the weight of his current situation.

Still, he attempts a smile (also falling flat) and looks from Shiro's hand back to his face after taking a breath.]

That's kind of you to say but it doesn't really help me right now.

Do you really think bonding would help?

What if-

[No, stupid, stop.

Then again, what has he got to lose?]

What if we did it and it only made it worse? What if he doesn't like what he sees inside me?

[That kind of crushing let down would destroy him. Just the thought is enough to make him want to run. Maybe he's worn out his welcome. He should probably go. He didn't come over here for solace and Shiro didn't sign up for this when he decided to enforce a pseudo-adoption.]

I get that. [He's not offended, honestly. Even if he wasn't Shiro and therefore very hard to offend...] It doesn't feel like it does any good at all sometimes. You just - you keep trying. As hard as you can. Hope for the best.

Even when you feel useless.

[Totally not speaking from experience there! Not at all! He frowns though, shaking his head slightly.]

Min, I can't say what would be best for the two of you. But I don't think you should rush into it - not just to try and fix something. Talking it out would be the best thing to do. And if that can't happen right now, then you need to wait until it can. [He hesitates, looking down at his hands. Metal and flesh.] ... Take it from someone who learned too late. Talk things out. Don't hold things back from your partner.

Why wouldn't he like what he sees? He's already crazy about you.

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